At the September shop meeting of the 2.5 engine assembly line in the Ford Engine Plant, Dagenham, East London, a resolution in support of the Liverpool dockers was passed unanimously.
The 2.5 engine powers the Ford Transit van and is built exclusively in England at the present time. Over 100 Ford workers, women and men attended the meeting in their tea break. Shop meetings normally discuss only Ford problems and mandate the department shop steward on members opinions by a 'show of hands' majority vote.
The dockers dispute has been reported on before but extra time was given this time in response to the Liverpool dockers 'September Appeal to the British Working Class'.
By chance a number of Ford Halewood (Liverpool) workers attended the meeting as they had been sent temporarily to Dagenham to cover labour shortages. Senior Steward Billy Jones from the Halewood Body Plant informed the meeting of the deeply felt support for the dockers from the broad Liverpool community.
The world wide docks solidarity and strike action, the ability of the Labour Government to intervene and settle the dispute, and the case for the re-instatement of all 500 dockers was outlined by 2.5 steward Rod Finlayson. The decision of the TGWU conference to overturn the Executive and support the dockers, with another 2.5 steward, Alan Martin, being one of the conference delegates who voted for the dockers - was reported. Also the news that the September meeting of the TGWU Ford Central Branch had agreed to send A3500 to the Dockers Hardship Fund (good but only A31 a man) and that the Dagenham Assembly Plant convenor, Steve Riley, had committed to a second shop floor collection, hopefully in all the Dagenham plants before Xmas, was warmly received.
On the resolution, there were no abstentions, and no votes against - these being asked for in the democratic tradition. The resolution reads as follows:
"This meeting calls on the T.U.C. to act for the re-instatement of the 500 sacked Liverpool dockers."
note: this resolution although not through the official structures of the unions, has mass participation and reflects grass-roots feeling. It is being forwarded to Bill Morris TGWU Executive Council and John Monks T.U.C., and also with tribute to ther Merseyside Port Shop Stewards Committee.
Rod Finlayson, TGWU steward 2.5 Assembly Ford Dagenham
